Changes Coming in 2023

Because a business isn't improving if it isn't always changing, right?

The idea, of course, is that changing things should be an  evolutionary process: you adapt, keep what works, cut away what doesn't,  and continue improving with the information that you've gathered.

With all that in mind, we hit lots of sweet spots that we don't  want to mess with in 2022, so let's talk about how very, very little is  changing in 2023.

Commission Changes

Let's start with the obvious: I've got a child on the way, and my  commission guarantees have been something that I pride myself on hitting  with over 90% success, since I started offering them. Should be 100%,  but life does get in the way, and I do slip up from time to time, and  that is likely to be a little tougher in 2023...but kids are expensive,  so I need the funds to keep coming in.

As I don't yet know what challenges fatherhood will bring (aside  from the obvious,) commission turnaround times will be dialed back in  2023, with a slight price decrease to reflect those longer wait times.

Per these changes, standard commissions will have NO guaranteed  turnaround time to begin with. For Premier Club members, they will  receive a 15 week completion guarantee starting at Silver Level, with  faster times as you go up the ladder.

Again, prices will reflect these slower times, as I do not want to  promise being able to work as fast with a newborn coming in April.  That's not fair to any of you as customers, so instead of raising rates  for 2023 (hooray inflation,) I'm keeping them the same or lowering them,  and slowing my guarantees to compensate.

I've also included a new commission type (the "quickie" level) to  give a great, mid-range option for those who only want to spend a little  bit more, but still have their stories finished at a quicker pace.

Commissions will be worked on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with  daily word goals of 7k. Obviously, as time allows, I'll do more words on  each of those days.

A final change coming will be the new "add-ons" system: to the base  price of a commission, you'll be able to add the following extras, to  save yourself some money up front.

-Check-ins: Some people like to check the progress of a  story as it is worked on. This often comes with requests for tiny  changes, which is fine, but they are time consuming. In as much, you  will be able to add up to three "check-ins" to a story, at a flat cost  per check-in. This can save money if you're anticipating major edits.

-Instant Posting: Don't want to wait to see your story  online? If you want it posted as soon as its completed, you can pay a  nominal fee to have the story posted right when I finish it! This would  be a very, very cheap cost, but given how long my posting backlog is,  some people may find it worthwhile.

-Major Edit: I edit and format all stories as part of  your initial cost, but buying a "major edit" ahead of time will grant  you one hour of editing time (normally $40) at a reduced cost, because  you paid ahead for the service. This is ideal for customers that may  change their mind about a plot point, the inclusion of a character, or  the setting itself after the story is finished.

-The Deluxe Package: Our old "deluxe" level commissions  are still dead and gone, but this will feel like a bit of a  resurrection! The Deluxe Package for any commission would come with  three check-ins, instant posting, AND one hour of editing (normally a  $40 value!) This is perfect for the consumer with an eye for the finer  things, and a mind that likes to wander.

Premier Club Changes

The Premier Club enjoyed great success again, with 23 unique  members reaching at least Silver level or higher in 2022. In 2023, it'll  be undergoing two changes, one of which was highly requested.

Starting in 2023, Premier Club membership will return to a dated  model! This means that your status lasts a calendar year from when you  first hit Silver level, instead of automatically resetting at the end of  a calendar year (as it did this year.) It's more work for me, but it's  better for my customers to have that option to know that they get a  whole year of benefits, instead of the remainder of the calendar year.  Hitting Gold in December would kinda suck, in our current system.

To compensate for the extra work of keeping track of those dates,  I'll be raising the rates required for each level just slightly, but you  will also have more time to hit each level, with the 12 month prorating  process.

On the flip side, to encourage more people to repeat as customers,  I'm lowering the entry point for Silver Level back to $200, which will  give a lot of repeat customers a better price to start 2023.

Anthology Changes

I already detailed these in another post, but anthologies will be  getting worked on every Tuesday and Thursday each month. Their creation  timeline will be reduced to about two months, and I will be removing the  minimum publishing fundraiser requirement, save the amount required for  cover art.

Those will be my slow days, with word goals of 5,000 per day.

Patreon/Substar Changes

Relating to that last point, 4,000 words on Tuesday and Thursday  will be dedicated to anthologies and longer projects, but 1,000 words  each of those days will be dedicated to Patreon and Subscribestar  exclusives. I NEED to bring in more passive income in 2023, as I will be  unable to work the convention circuit whatsoever.

That being the case, there will be one post of some kind every week  on both platforms in 2023. Exclusive story content, voting polls,  character interviews and AMAs, novel previews and more will be among the  content that can ONLY be found on these two websites.

The goal remains $500 a month on Patreon and $50 a month on  Subscribestar. If I can hit those numbers all year long, I'll be elated.  The first step, at least on my end, is at least one post a week. You  all deserve that and much, much more for how much you've all supported  me.

Planned Sabbatical

Starting April 2nd (or earlier if Baby Nugget decides to come way  early,) I'll be on a brief sabbatical in 2023. From April 2nd to at  least a week after the baby is born, I will not be answering any emails,  texts, calls, or other such messages. When I'm back online, I'll will  address everyone again with an update on my family unit and everyone's  health, and slowly try to return to business as normal.

If you need a special order before April, be sure to plan ahead for this!

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I think that's all I've got, as far as updates to the current plan  for 2023. Look for more posts to wrap up the year, as a thanks for being  the best supporters that a guy like me could have ever hoped for!